Whatever you do "Do Not Lose"

Updated: Nov 18

Season 1989-90

Game 12, Serie A

Sunday, November 19, 1989

Stadio Flaminio, Rome

Roma Lazio 1-1

Both teams reasonably happy after scrappy and tense draw

So far in Serie A Lazio had played 11 games; won 3, drawn 4 and lost 4. Their best results were beating Milan away 1-0 (it would not be repeated for 30 years in the league) and holding Juventus to a 1-1 draw in Rome. Unfortunately, two of the defeats had come in the last two games (Inter 0-3 away and Atalanta 1-2 at home with appalling refereeing). Lazio had 10 points.

In Serie A so far, the Giallorossi had won 5, drawn 3 and lost 3, so were on 13 points, three ahead of Lazio.

Roma were slight favourites today but derbies as always were open to any result.

The match

The derby was played at the small Flaminio stadium after 36 years, due to the restructuring of the Olimpico for Italia '90. It was also televised live by RAI for the Lazio region.

The area of Viale Tiziano, under the Parioli hill, was more like a war zone with 3,000 policemen and riot police everywhere in anticipation of possible clashes between rival fans.

There were only 22,000 fans present also due to these fears. So more or less one policeman every seven spectators.

Neither team had any injury problems so there were no surprises on the team sheets.

There were no great surprises in the game either, a monotonous battle played mainly in midfield. A classic derby of the period, tense and physical with continuous interruptions. The main priority was not to lose. The deadlock (derbies are never boring to those directly involved) was almost broken only once. In the 43rd minute Rudi Völler, on the right wing inside Lazio’s half, was immediately surrounded by three players but brilliantly switched the ball into the centre where Ruggero Rizzitelli was unmarked, he had a clear path to the area but once inside, with only the keeper to beat, sliced an awful effort well wide. Half time Roma 0 Lazio 0.

Things were going well... no-one was losing and there had been no crowd trouble.

The teams came on unchanged for the second half. In the 51st minute came a potential game changer. Lazio's centre forward, Brazilian Amarildo, instead of distributing bibles as was his habit, decided to donate a head-butt to Lionello Manfredonia (many Laziali's dream mind you). He had already been booked anyway but it was an obvious sending off, whatever Manfredonia had said to him. So, Lazio in ten men for the next 40 minutes or so. Roma took advantage to replace defender Antonio Tempestilli with a more offensive one, Manuel Gerolin.

One would have expected Roma to take control at this point but they were still hesitant and careful. Instead it was Lazio who seemed to throw caution to the wind and attacked more. In the 65th they even scored. A superb run by Rubén Sosa whose shot was parried and on the rebound he was pulled down by a defender for a clear penalty but the ball then spun across towards the centre of the area where Alessandro Bertoni had the simplest of tasks of slotting the ball into the empty goal. Roma 0 Lazio 1.

Roma thought they had equalised two minutes later with a Völler header but he was blatantly offside (practically on the goal line).

Lazio's hope now was to absorb pressure and try to strike on the break. In the 68th minute, however, the Lazio manager made a school boy's error and took off Sosa, the only player who could threaten Roma, putting on a defender Paolo Beruatto. Roma correctly responded by throwing on creative Bruno Conti for defender Thomas Berthold.

As predicted the game became attack against defence and Lazio were pegged back in their own area. The Roma equaliser came in the 83rd minute when captain Giannini headed in from close range after a Rizzitelli assist with another header. Roma 1 Lazio 1.

At this point only Roma could go on to win it. The Giallorossi only had one real chance, however, when a powerful long range, mid-height shot by Fabrizio Di Mauro was comfortably blocked by Valerio Fiori. Final score Roma 1 Lazio 1.

Both sides could consider the glass half full at the end, Roma had equalised when time was running out while Lazio had drawn a derby as underdogs and playing almost a whole half in ten men. The priority, and it had been achieved, was whatever happened not to lose.

The town of Rome saw the glass completely full as there had been no fights, scuffles, stabbings, molotovs thrown or the like between the opposing Ultras. Mind you it had taken a militarised operation to ensure it, so there was still room for progress. On and off the field.

Who played for Roma

Cervone, Tempestilli (54' Gerolin), Nela, Manfredonia, Berthold (70' Conti), Comi, Desideri, Di Mauro, Völler, Giannini, Rizzitelli

Substitutes: Tancredi, Cucciari, Baldieri

Manager: Radice

Who played for Lazio

Fiori, Bergodi, Sergio, Pin, Gregucci, Soldà, Di Canio (82' Troglio), Icardi, Amarildo, Bertoni, Sosa (68' Beruatto)